So guys. You've been walking 1000 steps a day. Those 5KM park runs just aren't cutting it. SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE!
You've set your sites on your first half marathon.
Overwhelmed with where to start? Crippling fear about the prospect of what to do when the furthest you've run is like 8-miles?
I've been there. I went through the exact same thing earlier this year. Best thing I ever did was check out the App Store. I found an awesome free half marathon training app. Shut off everything else. Stopped searching for advice in the forums. Didn't listen to any of those La-Z-Boy coaches.
I found an app with decent reviews. Found the half marathon programme. AND FOLLOWED IT RELIGIOUSLY!
DIDN”T COST ME A BEAN!
And got me through my first half marathon. And I didn't get Runner Knee! WIN.
The thing is.
IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL…
You'll spend more time trying to find the perfect free half marathon training app.
With ALL the bells and whistles.
It'll measure your Average-Resting-Basal-Metabolic-Heart-Rate.
They can tell you your Middle-Leg-Cadence-Average-Stride-Girth.
But none of this sh!t really matters!
When you're approaching your first half marathon.
You want something simple.
Something that's is clear.
Something that is going to get you through that first race.
So let this be the last bit of research you do. Read this and you will be ready to download the best free half marathon training app for your needs.
LET'S GO!!
- Best App For Half Marathon Training
- Half Marathon Training App For Beginners
- Half Marathon Training Plan Pdf
- 20 Week Half Marathon Training Plan Pdf
- 12 Week Half Marathon Training Plan Pdf
- Advanced Half Marathon Training Plan Pdf
- How Long For A Beginner To Train For A Half Marathon?
- Can I Train For A Half Marathon In 2 Weeks?
TL;DR
Don't have time to read the article? Just want to get the recommendations?
No problem. Here you go!
- Join the community that helps people get out the door and stick with running forever!
- Track exercise, set goals, sweat, and see progress along the way.
- Advanced workout tracker automatically records distance, pace & route without manual entry.
- The most accurate GPS tracking available.
SOCIAL CONNECTION – Join the world's largest community of athletes and see how you stack up against your friends.
SEGMENT INFORMATION – Runners, cyclists and swimmers can now compete in real-time against other athletes on every segment.
DETAILED TRACKING – Record all your activities with GPS tracking, analyze them at a glance and share your progress with friends.
- TRACK & STORE RUNS – Track runs, log distance, pace and calories burned. Store your favorite routes for future use.
- TRAINING PLANS & GUIDED RUNS – Get started with a training plan or choose from our library of guided runs to help you reach your goals.
- STAY MOTIVATED WITH CHALLENGES – Join the Nike+ community and start earning points for completing workouts and reaching milestones. Complete challenges to earn even more points and unlock new achievements!
Best App For Half Marathon Training
Apps can assist you in calculating your run distances, paces, and recuperation days. And with check-ins and posting across your socials, they they do a FANTASTIC job of keeping you motivated as you clock up those miles.
Lost in the App Store? Google Play thrown up one-too-many-curve-balls?
WORRY NOT! Runkeeper is HANDS-DOWN the best app for half marathon training when you're starting out.
Set the race date and target goal. This app will make your plan a reality when you use it.
All that's left to do is lace up your sneakers. Follow the plan. Track your progress. It's SIMPLE with Runkeeper's free plan.
Best Half Marathon Training App 2021
Whether you're preparing for your first 5K or half marathon, the best running applications on the market will assist you keep track of your training while also assisting you in achieving your objectives.
Most of the best running apps will connect to your watch or fitness tracker. They may also help you keep track of your daily routine by supplying direction, inspiration, and just making going for that daily run a little more pleasurable.
If you are looking for the best half marathon training app in 2021 I'd go for Strava.
If you need your friends around you to help keep you motivated download Strava right now. The social aspect of the app allows you to follow your friends, running frenemies, and work colleagues as well as create group challenges such as the fastest 5K or the longest monthly mileage.
However, if you're not a competitive runner, don't let this deter you. Strava includes all of the standard running tracking elements, such as running speed and distance travelled, as well as more intricate performance analysis and weekly miles.
Strava works with a variety of running trackers as well as wearable devices and the Apple Watch.
There are also helpful functions like Strava Beacon, which are intended to keep you safe by allowing your friends or family members to follow your real-time location on a run.
Strava offers both a free and paid-for membership known as Summit. Strava Summit The premium membership also includes further capabilities, such as more comprehensive race and performance analysis and the Strava maps feature, which enables you to locate route suggestions from your current position with ease. Strava Summit is a monthly or yearly subscription that currently costs $5.00 per month or $59.99 per year.
Available for Apple and Android devices.
Half Marathon Training App For Beginners
Nike Run Club is my favourite free half marathon training app for beginners. It's PERFECT for runners craving support and guidance.
Downloadable via the App Store or from Google Play
Here's how it works: You choose a run plan based on the number of weeks until the race.Then, each of your running exercises has a standard and assisted version available. Run with a Nike coach on your ear to obtain coaching and encouragement along the road.
You may also select a pace, distance, treadmill run, or extended runs based on how you're feeling that day. The app also has “tough days, easy runs” to assist you in when you're struggling. Try listening to an inspiring athlete's tale while out for a run to help you push through.
Half Marathon Training Plan 16 Weeks
Don't worry if you've ever struggled to execute an intense training program for a race; you're not alone.
For almost all runners who have obligations at work and families to look after, — so that's basically all of us — It might be tough to keep up with a training plan that requires you to run several days each week, many weeks, and months in a row.
I discovered this 16-week half marathon training plan for intermediate runners and those who don't have the time to run five days a week. The structure of the plan is a variation on a 12-week beginner training program, with an extra day off each week. Download the PDF here and check put the plan below.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | off | 3 miles | off | 3 miles | off | 4 miles | 3 miles |
| 2 | off | 3 miles | off | 3 miles | off | 5 miles | 3 miles |
| 3 | off | 4 miles | off | 4 miles | off | 6 miles | 3 miles |
| 4 | off | 4 miles | off | 4 miles | off | 6 miles | 3 miles |
| 5 | off | 5 miles | off | 5 miles | off | 7 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 6 | off | 5 miles | off | 5 miles | off | 7 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 7 | off | 6 miles | off | 4 miles | off | 8 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 8 | off | 6 miles | off | 4 miles | off | 8 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 9 | off | 5-6 miles | off | 4-5 miles | off | 9 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 10 | off | 5-6 miles | off | 4-5 miles | off | 9 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 11 | off | 6 miles | off | 5 miles | off | 10 miles | 2 miles |
| 12 | off | 6 miles | off | 5 miles | off | 10 miles | 2 miles |
| 13 | off | 5-6 miles | off | 4-5 miles | off | 11 miles | 2 miles |
| 14 | off | 5-6 miles | off | 4-5 miles | off | 12 miles | 2 miles |
| 15 | off | 5-6 miles | off | 4-5 miles | off | 6 miles | 3 miles |
| 16 | off | 4-5 miles | off | 4-5 miles | off | 13.1 miles! | off |
Half Marathon Training Plan Pdf
These apps are great when you are out training. If the functionality is still not what you're looking for. Or you prefer to have your half marathon training plan as a pdf. There's a range of programme to fit your needs. They cover experience and different lengths of time out to your race. Pick one. Download it. Start training.
The other benefit of having the training plan in this format is that some of the apps let you plug in a custom plan. If you don't like the built-in feature inside the apps. Just follow one of these pdf half marathon training plans and you'll be set.
20 Week Half Marathon Training Plan Pdf
For some folks, the prospect of training to run a half marathon in three months is scary AF. I've found this 5-month training plan to offer a more gradual buildup to race day — physically and mentally. It's better than some of the 12-week and 16-week plans out there as it is a bit more forgiving.
Beware though. A 20-weel plan can be hard to stick out. You could easily find yourself losing interest and giving up altogether.
This plan begins slowly with four days of running each week for the first six weeks. It then transitions to five days training each week as the schedule progresses further into the plan:
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | off | 3 miles | off | 3 miles | off | 4 miles | 3 miles |
| 2 | off | 3 miles | off | 3 miles | off | 4 miles | 3 miles |
| 3 | off | 4 miles | off | 4 miles | off | 5 miles | 3 miles |
| 4 | off | 4 miles | off | 4 miles | off | 5 miles | 3 miles |
| 5 | off | 5 miles | off | 5 miles | off | 6 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 6 | off | 5 miles | off | 5 miles | off | 6 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 7 | off | 3 miles | 5 miles | 3 miles | off | 7 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 8 | off | 3 miles | 5 miles | 3 miles | off | 7 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 9 | off | 4 miles | 5 miles | 4 miles | off | 8 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 10 | off | 4 miles | 5 miles | 4 miles | off | 8 miles | 2-3 miles |
| 11 | off | 4 miles | 6 miles | 4 miles | off | 9 miles | 2 miles |
| 12 | off | 4 miles | 6 miles | 4 miles | off | 9 miles | 2 miles |
| 13 | off | 5 miles | 6 miles | 5 miles | off | 10 miles | 2 miles |
| 14 | off | 5 miles | 6 miles | 5 miles | off | 10 miles | 2 miles |
| 15 | off | 5 miles | 6 miles | 4 miles | off | 11 miles | 2 miles |
| 16 | off | 5 miles | 6 miles | 4 miles | off | 11 miles | 2 miles |
| 17 | off | 4 miles | 6 miles | 4 miles | off | 12 miles | off |
| 18 | off | 4 miles | 6 miles | 4 miles | off | 12 miles | off |
| 19 | off | 4 miles | 5 miles | 4 miles | off | 6 miles | off |
| 20 | off | 4-5 miles | off | 4-5 miles | off | 13.1 miles! | off |
12 Week Half Marathon Training Plan Pdf
This 12 week half marathon training plan pdf will help novices and first-time half marathoners get prepared for 13.1 miles on race day, with split days of running, rest, and cross training every week.
Advanced Half Marathon Training Plan Pdf
This Garmin Advanced Half Marathon training plan pdf is super-easy to follow. If you've a lot of experience running. And you're into double-digits for half marathons completed. This is the one for you.
This is targeted at getting you to completing a half in the sub 90 minute range. While the weeks and days might look a bit tight, this plan leaves room for you to recover on your easy days. This is a 16-week plan so it can be adapted to fit your race due if you plan things out.
How Long For A Beginner To Train For A Half Marathon?
How Long Should A Half-Marathon Training Program Be? The American Medical Association says 12 – 16 weeks.
How long YOU need is going to depend on how much time you already spend physically active, and how quickly your muscles can build that endurance. You'll probably want between two and three hours of training a week that will help you with the final push to get in shape for it.
Can I Train For A Half Marathon In 2 Weeks?
It's possible to train for a half marathon in two weeks, but it's not advisable. You'll likely end up feeling exhausted. You'll increase the odds of an injury. And you'll probably run a slower time than you would have if you'd taken the time to train properly.
A better plan is to give yourself at least six weeks to train, following a gradual training program that will increase your mileage slowly and steadily. This will help you build up your endurance and prevent any injuries that might occur if you try to rush your training.
Final Thoughts
If During Your You Begin To Notice Knee Pain. You May Have Come Across Your First Experience Of Runner Knee. Be Sure To Check Out My Other Post On The Best Knee Braces To Help With Runner Knee.
